“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” the Declaration of Independence begins. Maher emphasized the words “self-evident” because some things are so blatantly obvious it shouldn’t have to be written down. Except, as Maher noted, with President Donald Trump, they really have to be.

“Every previously unwritten rule about the presidency must be written down,” Maher proclaimed. “If Donald Trump has taught everyone he’s ever dealt with one thing, it’s ‘Get it in writing.’ And the American people are just the latest suckers to learn that the hard way.”

Maher walked through the many things Trump has done because there is no explicit law saying he can’t. Such as, nepotism laws require that Trump can’t hire family members to the cabinet, but they don’t say anything about his children being unpaid staffers handling NATO meetings.

“From inviting Russian spies into the Oval Office to not releasing his taxes, from insisting law enforcement be loyal to him personally to maintaining a for-profit business empire while in office, we are learning that nothing is just understood anymore,” Maher continued. “It’s like when they write ‘DO NOT EAT’ on silica gel packs.”

Maher reminded his audience that it was “self-evident” because thought that there would be “some things were so obviously repugnant, they’d be covered by a sense of shame. And these were guys who owned slaves!” With Trump, however, they are not, because he has no shame. “But Trump reminds us that some people will break every rule that’s not specifically enumerated.”

These unwritten rules are about ethics or upholding the honor and dignity of the office. To Trump, they’re the perks.

“When you hire a babysitter, you write down a list of rules,” Maher explained. “No boyfriend visits, no loud music, stay out of my greenhouse. But no one thinks they have to write down ‘Don’t put the baby in the microwave.’ Well, with Trump you do.”